Andy Crabtree, Tom Rodden, Peter Tolmie Graham Button
This paper is essentially a caution written towards interactive designers about the dangers of the wholesale use of sociological ethnographic methods. The authors feel that even though computing is moving into a new level of ubiquitousness it does not mean that designers should throw away old task and work specific study methods. They feel that the new methods being employed are too centered on creating a story and not on focusing on applications and uses of technology.
I feel that these arguments are certainly fair, but that in finding new places to apply technology designers can't just look for existing tasks and work but have to create a broader picture of their target. Just as it makes no sense to only ask a user what they want and not considering what they might need, it makes little sense to study only what people are currently doing without asking what their goals and beliefs are and whether there is some system or solution that could fit those goals better than adapting what they already use.
Still, I can see that it is dangerous to only rely on a highly qualitative study of a group as this can lead to conclusions that are difficult to back up. Without well aimed quantitative study, working results that are gleaned from an ethnography could essentially be considered conjecture and do little to provide scientific proof.
No comments:
Post a Comment